Reyna Ramirez-Arellano sighed it's been a month since Gaia was defeated and since Leo's death. Everyone was still taking it hard, of course the other had someone to lean on Percy had Annabeth, Frank had Hazel and Piper and Jason had each other. Reyna… well she had no one, though she did not know Leo as well as the others it still would have been nice to have someone to talk to, since none of the people at camp Jupiter knew Leo and she still felt uncomfortable around most of the Greeks. She sighed and went back to her paper work, being Praetor of the camp was a lot of work though she could never stay completely focused on it. Ever since Juno/Hera took Jason from the camp and it became clear she had no chance with him or Percy she had low hope for her love life. And with Venus/Aphrodite telling her "No Demigod can heal your broken heart." She nearly gave up hope on her love life, though with all her best friends being in a relationship, she felt left out and lonely. Hades, even Nico has been getting closer to Will. She looked down at the papers in front of her, she has barely gotten anything done. She didn't want to dump it all in Frank's lap again but she needed some time to think.
In Idaho a young man stand tall gripping his Rhomphaia tightly as a cyclops charged at him with a club. "Give up Demigod you can't defeat me!" The cyclops shouted as he charged. The man stuck his blade into the ground and pressed a button on his wrist watch. The watch expanded forming a crescent hide covered shield with a javelin attached to it. He drew out the javelin and threw it into the cyclops eye just as the monster was bringing his club down. The monster screamed in pain and dropped his club, gripping at the javelin in his eye trying to remove it as the demigod thrust his blade though the monster and it exploded into dust. He sighed and shook his head. "These Cyclopes are so pathetic, at least that manticore put up a good fight." He said to himself before shaking his head and continuing southwest.
Yet another week passed and Reyna found herself wandering through the streets of New Rome, alone. Her long black hair blowing in the breeze along with her Praetor robes. She watched children playing in streets as she smiled sadly before looking around at the shops and stores though she had no real resign to enter any of them. She walked out of town to the top of one of the hills overlooking the camp and the temples that Jason was helping get build for other gods. She sighed at the thought of Jason. If it were not for Juno she would have gotten closer to him but it was not met to be either way seeing what Aphrodite said to her back in Charleston. She sighed and looked across to river to see laistrygonian giants fighting someone. Her eyes widened she ran towards the battle deciding there was no time to run to get help.
One of the laistrygonians picked up a large bolder on the river bed and hurled is at the demi-god who simply dashes out of the way and charged at the giant, his blade overhead. The giant counter charged and tackled him but and grinned as he hear a snapping sound. The demi-god managed to avoid most of the impact but the giant stepped on his leg in the process, breaking it. The giant slowly stood and gripped his chest. A deep slash ran across his chest and he was bleeding. "Seems your blade is useless mortal. With a gash like this I should have been sent back to Tartarus." He bellowed before falling on one knee in pain. "Well maybe not useless but not good for kill." As his blood ran down his body it continued to move even on the flat ground towards the demi-god who grinned, "Why would I want to kill you so early? We only just began to have fun." When blood encased the demi-gods broken leg, and moments later to stood the blood having vanished.
Reyna ran as fast as she could, a tear rolled down her cheek as she thought of Scipio wishing he was here so she could get their faster. She saw one of the giants nearly crush the man fighting, and say in laying there. He likely broke a leg, she saw a deep bleeding gash in the giant, well monsters do bleed a cut that deep should have sent the laistrygonian to Tartarus. She stopped and stared as the monsters blood snaked through the grass and surrounded his broken leg before dissipating and he stood, uninjured; she had seen many demigods since her time at the camp and from her trips to Camp Halfbood but she had never seen something like this, she shook her head and continued sprinting towards the battle, she would ask who he was after.
The laistrygonians looked shocked "What the hell are you! None of the gods have that power to bestow on their kids!" One of the giants shouted. The man grinned in responded "There are many gods giant, the Greco-romans are not alone, though most of the other don't have a camp for their children." The giant growled. "Who is your parent then? I want to know who to thank for my meal tonight." The demigod walked towards the giant calmly. "My mother is the Thracian goddess of bloodshed and slaughter, Kotys; though my godly linage traced though a few pantheons my grandmother is Morrigan and my great grandfather is Tyr." The giants stared that would mean he descends from 3 war gods. Without hesitation the demigod charged at them jumping and slashing his blade though the injured giants arm severing it. The giant screamed in pain clutching his stump as he bled before his head was severed and after a few seconds burst into dust returning to Tartarus. The second giant looked terrified, the demigod had just cut though his brother like he was a price of paper, the giant turned to run when he saw Rayna and grinned he sprinted at her and before she was able to respond he grabbed her. "Drop the blade or I will rip break her bones in half!" he ordered. Rayna struggled but was helpless to watch what happed. "And if I do you will then use that moment to break her bones and attack me." He responded deadpan before tossing his rhomphaia aside. Both the giant and Rayna where confused he knew what the giant was planning and disarmed himself anyway. The giant slowly approached the demigod still holding Rayna when he got within 5 feet Rayna pressed his watch and it turned into his crescent hide shield with a javelin he quickly charged with the javelin and impaled the giant sending it back to Tartarus.
Rayna fell onto the ground after the giant burst into dust, the man's shield returned to a watch and he picked his rhomphaia back up. Rayna slowly stood looking at him. "So who the Pluto are you?" She was not really sure what to say but that's what came out. He turned and walked over to her, he was at about 6'8" so he had near a foot over her, his eyes where a bloody red and his short hair was black, he was fairly light a similar shade to most Scandinavians the main feature that shoot out on his face was a long scar that ran from the right side of his face just below his hairline to just under his left eye. "I am Alaric Arminius Thrax, son of Kotys, grandson of Morrgain, great-grandson of Tyr and Hadúr great—great grandson of Neto. Now tell me who you are roman." He responded. "I am Reyna Ramirez-Arellano daughter of Bellona rom-" he cut her off. "I know who Bellona is, no need to tell me anymore than that." She nodded. "So then what brought you to Camp Jupiter seeing how you're not of roman descent?" She asked. "Well their no camp Thrace and Camp Gaul is to all the way in Minnesota and camp Britannia is on an island in New England I don't have much choose. So then care to give me a tour?"
Several of the legionaries where curios as to who she was walking with. "Those are the barracks and over there is the bath house past here is New Rome" she finished. He turned to her. "So then may I stay here or in New Rome?" he asked. "The barracks are fairly full and you would have to see Lupa before you could join a legion anyway; as for New Rome, it's for retired legionaries and their families only. But the camp could always use another powerful ally and judging by you lineage, I think you should stay with me till we can sort something out." He nodded agreeing with her before she led him to her villa. As they approached the Pomerian Line one of Terminus statues came to life "No weapons aloud in New Rome, Thracian" Terminus shouted. Alaric glared at the border god. "Then I simply won't enter. I never let my rhomphaia out of my sight." Rayna looked between the two and turned to Terminus. "Can you please make an exception, he saved my life." Terminus looked at him then back at her. "I don't make exception not even for you Praetor, beside you remember what happed last time I bent the rules." "Leo was not in control when that happed!" She shot back at the god. "But if the weapons were not with him it would not have happed." Terminus said and turned back to Alaric. "I don't understand they you can't part with such a simple weapon." Alaric glared in response and walked to a nearby hill and laying in the grass. Rayna tried to make a deal with Terminus before eventually walking back to Alaric and sitting next to him. "Why is that blade so important to you?" she asked. He continued to look at the sky and responded. "It was forged from using most mythic Metals in Europe, ranging from Celtic iron to Imperial gold forged my many smithing gods and dwarfs, since most gods only know how to work the mythic metal associated with them, though the thracians know how to use Celestial bronze and the Germanic gods have know how to use imperial gold ever since the slaughter at slaughter of Teutoburg forest." Rayna then asked. "Why would so many gods forge this for you?" He sat up and looked at her dead in the eyes. "I descend from many war gods as told you before, and as you can tell I am mortal, however I am not a demigod." "Then what are you?" She asked though you beleaved she already knew the answer. "I am the god of War and Slaughter, Savagery and Bloodlust. And my blade is Trucidoi Attila."
Meanwhile at Olympus, the several of the Gods watch intently, they were in their Greek forms, despite watching over Rome they person they watched was half Thracian who had a much worse relation with the Greeks than romans. Athena watched with her always calculating eyes, trying to gauge how threatening he could become the Olympians, Hera had relaxed after hearing that he had no relation to her husband. Poseidon watched simply curiously what would come of the meeting between the daughter of Bellona and the child of slaughter. Apollo was writing on a sheet of paper trying to think of a song for this mortal war god, he always wrote a song, a theme for each god simply for his own amusement. Ares stared intently, another war god, even a mortal one could weaken his influence over the warfare of the western world. Aphrodite was delighted to see how this new drama would turn out, even if she had little influence over what would happen, for once in a very long time she would finally get to watch a drama unfold on its own. Hestia smiled as she watched as always simply hoping the fates would be kind to them. Zeus kept a very close eye on him as he was another threat to his power.
The doors burst open and a tall women with an athletic build walked in she had SPQR surrounded by a Laurel tattooed on her left bicep, she wore the armor of a centurion excluding the Hemet which was replaced with a WWII American Hemet. He ebony hair reached just past her neck in the back, her bangs where just above her eyebrows. All the gods other than Athena flickered to their Roman form for just a moment. Athena stood. "What are you doing here? You know pure Roman gods are not allowed on Olympus except if they are invited or in times of crisis." Athena always had a dislike for Bellona she was born of the half of Athena the romans dismissed, the warrior and tactician that Athena was to the Greek pantheon Bellona was to the Roman pantheon. Ares had a grin on his face as would his counterpart Mars. Whenever these two go into a right it was interested even if it was just a battle of wits. Bellona glared at the Greek goddess. "This concerns my daughter and as long as you're watching over her I will stay. Just met a child of many the barbarian war gods, and well I can watch her from where I reside I remand I seat on the counsel till my daughter and this mortal god are dealt with!" Zeus stood. All of the present gods looked at him. "No need we will vote on his execution. He will pose too much of a threat in the future; should he grow stronger he might have power sway the smallest arguments into bloodshed." Bellona shouted. "You will do no such thing!" Aphrodite leaned back in her throne trying to hide, knowing where Bellona would go with this. "Thanks to a certain Queen and love goddess my daughter has had her heart wounded many times and if I recall said love goddess said to her "No Demigod can heal your broken heart." That being he is no demigod." Hera glared at Bellona and Aphrodite looked at Hera trying to get the attention off herself. "You would risk the safety of Olympus simply for your daughter's love life?!" Zeus shouted in disbelief. "She helped to return Athena's Parthenos! She deserves someone as much as the 7 do, and yet it seems like all she has gotten was another version of Calypso curse." She shouted once again. Zeus groaned. "Very well we will keep an eye on him and till this issue is resolved you may stay on Olympus." With that they returned their attention back to Rayna and Alaric.
Rayna stared at him eyes wide, though she had determined that he was a god hearing it was still so strange. "I've never hear of you before." She wanted he hit herself after saying that. What idiot responds to a god by saying they never hear of them. "Not surprising I was only born 18 years ago." She relaxed. "If you're a god why did the Giants keep calling you mortal?" "Because I am mortal, my father was a demigod, I was born as a demigod, thought Ichor is what flows though my veins, yet I heal like only slightly faster than a mortal, unless of course I can use my mother's gift to heal from bloodshed." She thought for a moment before standing. "Let's go see Terminus again, if you're a god he should let you in with your weapon." Alaric shrugged and stood picking Trucido back up and followed. Terminus looked at him. "Ready to hand over your weapon?" Rayna walked up. "Terminus he claims to be a god we have to let him in." Terminus glared at him, if he had arms they would have been crossed. "Do you have any proof Thracian? That's a huge claim to make." Alaric raised his blade and made a semi deep cut in his arm, golden fluid slowly bled out, Terminus's eyes widen for a moment before he regained his composure. "Very well you may enter the city with your weapon just don't get into any trouble." Alaric and Rayna walked into New Rome, many people were shocked to see the tall man caring a weapon though the city. Soon they made it to Rayna's Villa. It was a bit larger than your standard one floor home, their where maps of Camp Jupiter and Camp Half-blood on the wall, and a few framed pictures of Rayna and her sister. As well as some with Nico, Will and The 6, Clarisse was in the picture as well half smiling Chris's arm around her. She had a fake smile on in the picture. She was the only single person in the picture.
"I don't have a second bed so you'll have to sleep on the couch. Tomorrow is the field battle wargames if you're interested, no killing is allowed but it will be a real battle. If you need anything I'll be in the kitchen." She said before leaving him. Alaric sat on the couch and looked at his blade before pulling out a grinding stone, though the blade would always remain sharp being forged by several gods, he still did this from time to time to think.
The following day Rayna let out a sigh as she showed, this was one of the few time Rayna could truly relax. Though she hides it, being rejected twice along with how her life was with her father virtually destroyed her self-esteem, eventually she got and put her purple robe on before heading to the kitchen for a bowl of cereal. Shortly after she returned to her living room to see Alaric still asleep on the couch. She sighed then smiled, glad she was not alone in the house anymore. She took a seat on the loveseat across and turned on the TV.
It was nearly Noon when Alaric woke, slowly sitting up he looked around to see a slightly red-faced Rayna. Alaric had removed his shirt during the night and used his cape as a blanked, slowly he stood up and stretched. "Good morning Rayna." She took a moment to composer herself. "It's nearly noon. Do you normally sleep this late?" she asked as he put his shirt back on along with his cape. "No but it's been a long time since I sleep on anything other than the ground." He turned and looked at her. "So then don't we have a battle to get to?"
Rayna approached the Field of Mars in her armor with Alaric and against Rayna reasoning stayed lightly armored in cloth and a Phrygian helmet. The Cohorts have already assembled and decided the teams would be odd vs even with the Fifth Cohort on one team and Hannibal on the other.
i1 Latin for slaughter, butcher, massacre, ruin, slay